Colonel Đoàn Chí Thắng, deputy head of the Political Commissar of the Hà Nội Capital Command speaking at a meeting on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội aims to complete DNA sample collection from the remains of unidentified war dead by October as part of the nationwide campaign to identify missing soldiers, city officials said on Friday.

The capital has 4,532 unidentified martyrs' graves requiring DNA sampling across 233 war cemeteries, according to Colonel Đoàn Chí Thắng, deputy head of the Political Commissar of the Hà Nội Capital Command.

This figure includes 555 graves at three city-managed cemeteries, namely Mai Dịch, Ngọc Hồi and Nhổn, while the remaining 3,977 are located at commune- and ward-level cemeteries.

Authorities have completed DNA sampling at Ngọc Hồi cemetery, where 48 graves were sampled, and at Nhổn cemetery, where samples were collected from 35 of 38 graves. Three graves could not be sampled because of their condition.

DNA collection began on Friday at Mai Dịch Martyrs' Cemetery, where 469 unidentified graves remain. Officials expect the work to be completed by October 10. 

Colonel Thắng said the city has collected DNA samples from the remains of 97 unidentified martyrs at two city-level cemeteries and four commune- and ward-level cemeteries.

He said the work had been complicated by difficult burial conditions, including graves that had been relocated or renovated several times over the decades, but authorities remain committed to completing DNA collection across the city in October.

Nguyễn Tây Nam, deputy director of the Hà Nội Department of Home Affairs, said the city would accelerate sample collection and transfers during August and September, with the goal of finishing the programme before the October 10 deadline.

Nam said the campaign has received strong backing from national and city leaders, with Hà Nội prioritising funding and local authorities receiving public support for the effort. — VNS